Vol. 1, No. 222, 14 November 1995YELTSIN: ELECTIONS ON SCHEDULE BUT UNDER DIFFERENT RULES. President
Boris Yeltsin said he wants the Duma elections to take place on schedule but is
also seeking to ensure that there can be no doubt about their legitimacy. In a
conversation with his aide, Georgii Satarov, he made clear that he is concerned
about problems with the electoral law and wants the Duma to approve corrections
to it before the 17 December elections, NTV reported on 14 November. The
Supreme Court and a group of Duma deputies have asked the Constitutional Court
to rule on the 5% barrier for parties to enter the Duma. Making any changes to
the law a few weeks before the elections will be extremely difficult since
there are numerous parties with different interests involved. Rossiiskie
vesti reported on 14 November that various deputy groups have come up with
at least three different amendments to the law. Yeltsin has also requested that
the Federation Council officially announce the date of the presidential
election as 16 June 1996 to put an end to speculation that it will be
postponed. -- Robert Orttung

YELTSIN REORGANIZES PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION. Although he is still in
hospital, President Yeltsin is moving to tighten his control over the often
fractious process of policy-making in the Russian executive. Sergei Filatov,
the presidential chief of staff, told ITAR-TASS on 13 November that Yeltsin had
instructed him to restructure the presidential administration to create new
directorates for foreign policy, civil service, and domestic policy. Each of
the new directorates will be headed by one of the president's advisers, such as
foreign policy aide Dmitrii Ryurikov. Also on 13 November, Foreign Minister
Andrei Kozyrev chaired an interdepartmental meeting on foreign policy, which
included Defense Minister Pavel Grachev, Federal Security Service Director
Mikhail Barsukov, and other senior ministers. The meeting was aimed at
coordinating the foreign activities of the Russian government, which has been
criticized for disorganization in that area. -- Scott Parrish

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT EXPANDS VICTIMS' RIGHTS. The Constitutional Court
ruled that victims of crimes or abuse of power can appeal in court against a
decision to close a criminal case following preliminary investigation, Russian
media reported on 13 November. The court struck down a statute under which
dissatisfied crime victims could only lodge a complaint with regional or
national procurators, on the grounds that such a limit violates the
constitutionally guaranteed right of all citizens to defense in court. Russian
TV predicted that the court's decision will force investigators to be more
conscientious, only closing cases for lack of evidence when there is real
justification to do so. -- Laura Belin

DUMA CALLS FOR INTEGRATION TALKS WITH BELARUS. At its 13 November
session, the Duma passed a resolution calling for the integration of Russia and
Belarus, Rossiiskaya gazeta reported on 14 November. The resolution
called for President Yeltsin to dispatch a delegation to Minsk for talks on the
issue, and recommended that a referendum be held in Russia on relations with
Belarus. Meanwhile, on 11 November Sovetskaya Rossiya reported the
results of a poll showing that 30% of Russians would vote for Belarusian
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka if he could participate in Russian elections.
Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev would receive 10% support, while
other CIS leaders would receive little support. In comparison, the paper noted,
recent polls put support for Aleksandr Lebed at only 23%, while all other
Russian politicians garner less than 10% support. -- Scott Parrish

MOSCOW HAILS EAST SLAVONIA ACCORD. Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister
Igor Ivanov, the chief Russian negotiator in the former Yugoslavia, hailed the
recently signed basic agreement on East Slavonia, Interfax reported on 13
November. Ivanov said the accord offers a "real chance" to avert a repeat of
the refugee crisis caused when Croatia retook control of Krajina by force in
August and demonstrates the "realism" of Zagreb and the local Serbian
authorities. On the same day, however, Communist Deputy Viktor Ilyukhin,
chairman of the Duma Security Committee, slammed President Yeltsin's recent
veto of a bill proposing that Russia unilaterally exit from UN sanctions
against rump Yugoslavia and accused Croatia of carrying out a policy of
"undeclared war" against the Serbian people. -- Scott Parrish

SIBERIAN COAL COMPANY HOLDS TRAINS HOSTAGE. A Siberian coal company,
Altaikoks, has held two trains and their crews hostage for four days to protest
the railway's decision to cut it off from transport service, Russian and
Western agencies reported on 13 November. More than 60 trains are backed up
near the Altaikoks coal company in Zarinsk, due to the blockage. The railway
said the coal company owes 13.6 billion rubles ($2.7 million) in transport
costs, and refused further service until the debt was paid. The local trade
union at the train depot in Barnaul said the situation at the Zarinsk-Kuzbass
section of the railroad is disastrous. -- Thomas Sigel

ANTI-CRIME OFFICIALS MEET IN MOSCOW. Russian Interior Minister Anatolii
Kulikov met with the U.S. assistant secretary of state for international
narcotics and law enforcement, Robert Gelbard, in Moscow on 13 November to
discuss ways to crack down on the spread of drug-related and economic crimes,
ITAR-TASS and AFP reported the same day. Both Kulikov and Gelbard said that
cooperation between the two countries must be stepped up to tackle the
increasingly international reach of criminal organizations. Since 1994, police
have reported 70,000 crimes connected to drugs in Russia. In September, U.S.
police arrested 21 people of Russian, Armenian, and Egyptian origin accused of
tax evasion, organizing prostitution, and distributing narcotics in the Los
Angeles area. U.S. District Attorney Nora Manella said there are two groups
with possible links to Russian organized crime groups on the U.S. East Coast
involved in various illegal activities, including extortion and contract
killings. -- Thomas Sigel

DEBATE OVER RUBLE EXCHANGE RATE. While the government is celebrating the
stability of the ruble's nominal exchange rate, commentators note that
continuing domestic price inflation (4.7% in October) has led to a 50% real
appreciation of the ruble since May (i.e., an increase of its purchasing power
in dollar terms). Some industrialists complain that this is undermining the
profitability of exports. However, Aleksei Varnavskii, writing in Finansovye
izvestiya on 14 November, notes that exports are running at a level one
third higher than in 1994. He argues that the ruble is still below its true
value, and despite domestic inflation, the ruble will likely hold to its
nominal value against foreign currencies and even fall to 4,300 to $1. -- Peter
Rutland

BANKRUPTCIES LOOM IN ST. PETERSBURG. St. Petersburg firms owe the
federal budget 1.1 trillion rubles ($240 million) and local officials are
preparing to declare the city's first bankruptcies, Kommersant-Daily
reported on 11 November. The paper also reported that Moscow-based Menatep Bank
is launching a court case to get control of Petersburgskii Tekstil, which has
not repaid the 920 million ruble ($200,000) loan the bank gave it in 1993.
Meanwhile, the textile firm continues to receive new loans from local banks,
such as a recent 1 billion ruble loan from Astrobanka. St. Petersburg is not
atypical. According to the Central Bank's deputy head of research, 16% of all
commercial bank loans are overdue, Delovaya Sibir reported in issue no.
33. -- Peter Rutland

OMRI DAILY DIGEST

Vol. 1, No. 222, 14 November 1995OPPOSITION CRITICIZES ELECTION VIOLATIONS IN AZERBAIJAN. In separate
interviews with the European Institute for the Media on 13 November, Musavat
Party Chairman Isa Gambar and Azerbaijani Popular Front Deputy Chairman Asim
Mollazade both characterized the 12 November parliamentary elections as "a
significant step backwards towards authoritarianism." NTV reported that the
opposition Popular Front estimated that only 15-30% of voters participated in
the elections. Officials and unsuccessful candidates from both parties cited
numerous examples of blatant violations of electoral procedures by
representatives of executive power in rural areas. In some cases, physical
violence was used against opposition candidates or observers. The Popular Front
leadership expressed bewilderment at such "illogical" tactics by the
Azerbaijani leadership, given that restrictions on the number of opposition
candidates registered would in any event have guaranteed the pro-presidential
Yeni Azerbaycan party 60% of the seats in the new parliament. -- Liz Fuller

ELECTION-RELATED DEATHS IN AZERBAIJAN. Two individuals identified only
as close associates of Kamil Gasanov, chairman of the Cultural Community of
Kurds and a parliamentary candidate in the Lachin Kubatli district, were shot
in a dispute over a vote cast by a person identified as Shamil Gadialiyev,
Turan reported on 13 November. The latter reportedly clashed with the two men
over his decision not to support Gasanov. Three other people were wounded. --
Lowell Bezanis

RUSSIAN PRESSURE ON ABKHAZIA. In line with a Russian Foreign Ministry
decision dated 30 August, Russian border guards will no longer permit Abkhaz
passport holders to travel to Turkey, Interfax reported on 13 November. In the
past, Turkey was the only country that recognized Abkhaz passports. The Russian
decision noted that Abkhaz passports and visas will not be recognized until the
ultimate settlement of its conflict with Georgia; an unnamed senior Abkhaz
official told the agency that the step is in line with an effort to tighten a
blockade on the region in an attempt to pressure its leadership during the
Georgian-Abkhaz talks. -- Lowell Bezanis

EXPLOSION HALTS ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO EASTERN GEORGIA. A high voltage
power transmission line blew up about 70 km west of Tbilisi and close to the
border with South Ossetiya, Russian media reported on 13 November. A source in
the Georgian Interior Ministry said anti-tank mines caused the explosion. The
damage, which will halt the electricity supply to Tbilisi and eastern Georgia,
is estimated at $155,000. According to Georgia's Energy Department, it will
take about a week to repair the line. Meanwhile, heavy snowfall will exacerbate
the energy crisis in eastern Georgia. -- Irakli Tsereteli

UZBEKISTAN RECEIVES EU GRANT. The EU's "TACIS" program gave an $11
million grant to Uzbekistan, Interfax reported on 13 November. The money will
help reform measures in the agricultural sector, particularly in the regions of
Syrdarya, Samarkand, and Ferghana. The news follows an ITAR-TASS report on 10
November that the EBRD is working out arrangements to give Uzbekistan $50
million to promote foreign investment. The expansion is seen as part of a
continued liberalization of Uzbekistan's economy, which has been based on a
policy of avoiding shock-therapy strategies to this point. A bank
representative noted that the credit would "strengthen ties between Uzbek banks
and their foreign partners." -- Roger Kangas

CONTROVERSY OVER EXECUTIONS SHOWN ON KAZAKHSTANI TV. The Russian human
rights group Glasnost Foundation has criticized the Kazakhstani government for
"exploiting the freedom of the press" by broadcasting criminal executions by
shooting on state television, Ekspress-Khronika reported on 14 November.
The documentaries on criminal executions with commentaries by the Interior
Ministry officials shown on the State TV and independent channel Totem
on 15 May and 25 September were sanctioned by the Kazakhstani president and
general procurator. Kazakhstani Deputy General Procurator Garifulla Utebayev
said that the screenings did not violate mass media laws and were aimed at
"informing the public." -- Bhavna Dave

NAZARBAYEV, JUSTICE MINISTER CRITICIZE RUSSIAN MEDIA OVER GUNKIN. A
Kazakhstani Interior Ministry official told ITAR-TASS on 13 November that
Semirechie Cossack leader Nikolai Gunkin was arrested for criminal acts which
could "exacerbate interethnic relations in Kazakhstan." Kazakhstani President
Nursultan Nazarbayev warned that he will ask all Kazakhstanis to distrust the
Russian mass media unless they begin publishing "objective information" on the
country, Interfax reported on 13 November. Later at a press conference in the
Kazakhstani embassy in Moscow, Kazakhstani Justice Minister Konstantin Kolpakov
denied allegations by the Russian State Duma Committee on Relations with the
CIS and Russians Abroad of "widespread terror" against Cossacks and Russians by
the Kazakhstani interior forces. -- Bhavna Dave

OMRI DAILY DIGEST

Vol. 1, No. 222, 14 November 1995UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH ETHNIC MINORITY LEADERS. Leonid Kuchma
met with leaders of ethnic minority organizations on 13 November,
Interfax-Ukraine and UNIAR reported the same day. He agreed to set up a
temporary commission to deal with inter-ethnic problems in Crimea at the
request of Refat Chubarov, a leader of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis. Chubarov asked
Kuchma for his assistance in ensuring that the interests of the Crimean Tatars
are taken into account when Kiev and Crimean authorities divide powers between
them. Kuchma said he would consider the creation of a permanent presidential
commission to maintain ties with ethnic minority organizations. -- Chrystyna
Lapychak

BELARUSIAN, LITHUANIAN PREMIERS MEET. Mikhail Chyhir and Adolfas
Slezevicius met on 10 November in Hrodna to discuss ways to expand economic
cooperation, BNS reported. Lithuania agreed to help Belarus send more goods to
the West through its port of Klaipeda. A proposal to close some of the border
crossing points used by only 10-15 people a day was rejected. It is likely that
Belarus will purchase more electricity from Lithuania's Ignalina power plant,
since Slezevicius agreed that Belarus could pay for it not only in cash but
also in agricultural technology and fertilizers. -- Saulius Girnius

EU OPENS REPRESENTATION IN ESTONIA. Guenther Burghardt, the
director-general of the European Commission's foreign relations department, and
Estonian European Affairs Minister Endel Lipmaa signed an agreement on 13
November to open an EU representative office in Tallinn, ETA reported. The
exact date of the opening has not been set but will probably be in December.
Also on 13 November, Burghardt discussed with Prime Minister Tiit Vahi
Estonia's relations with Russia, possible financial aid for developing
communications and transport systems, and problems in the republic's
infrastructure. Burghardt arrived in Estonia two days earlier and held talks
with Foreign Minister Siim Kallas and Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo. --
Saulius Girnius

SMALL FIRE AT LITHUANIAN ATOMIC POWER PLANT. A small fire occurred in
the machine room of the nuclear power plant at Ignalina on 12 November, Reuters
reported the next day. One of the pipes in the hydraulic system cracked and
leaked a lubricant that ignited. A machinist put out the flames with a fire
extinguisher even before professional fire fighters arrived. Officials say that
the fire posed no danger to the environment and that on a nuclear safety scale
of zero to six, it would rate a zero. The first reactor was shut down but was
back in operation within 24 hours, following speedy repairs. Western experts
are traveling to Ignalina to provide a safety upgrade since there were two
other minor accidents in August. -- Saulius Girnius

POLISH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS UPDATE. With only another five days until
the second round of the presidential elections, the Polish media continues to
focus on the assets of the two remaining candidates: Democratic Left Alliance
leader Aleksander Kwasniewski and incumbent President Lech Walesa. Kwasniewski
revealed his and his wife's assets on 13 November, asking Walesa to do
likewise. Justice Minister Jerzy Jaskiernia and Kwasniewski's chief election
campaigner, Danuta Waniek, have raised questions about Walesa's statement that
his main source of income has been the $1 million he received in 1989 for the
movie rights to his autobiography. They have queried whether Walesa has
actually paid a 45% private income tax on that sum. Walesa initially mentioned
that $500,000 remains in his possession and the next day he cited a figure of
$300,000. Waniek asked what had happened within 24 hours to $200,000, Polish
dailies reported on 14 November. -- Jakub Karpinski

CEFTA AGRICULTURE MINISTERS AGREE TO CUT CUSTOMS DUTIES. Ministers from
the four countries of the Central European Free Trade Agreement--Poland, the
Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary--agreed on 13 November to reduce or
abolish custom duties on many agricultural goods, Hospodarske noviny
reported. Meeting in Prague, the ministers signed an agreement to eliminate
from 1 January duties on items such as some live animals, tropical and dried
fruit, coffee, and tea. Duties on another 101 commodities--among them poultry,
hops, sugar beet, margarine and vegetable oils--are to be reduced, while those
on a group of so-called "sensitive items," which account for 55% of
agricultural trade within CEFTA, will be gradually reduced through bilateral
agreements. -- Steve Kettle

SLOVAK PARLIAMENT REMOVES ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL POWER. The parliament on
13 November approved an amendment to the law on referendums authorizing the
parliament, rather than the president, to decide whether the contents of a
petition calling for a referendum meet conditions stipulated in the
constitution, Narodna obroda reported. The amendment also removes the
requirement that citizens' identification numbers appear next to their
signatures. Jan Cuper of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) said the
new version is "more democratic" than its predecessor. In spring 1994,
President Michal Kovac rejected a drive from the HZDS for a referendum on early
elections and other issues, saying there were not enough valid signatures on
the petition lists. Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar recently threatened to call
a referendum to shorten Kovac's term in office. -- Sharon Fisher

SLOVAK FINANCE MINISTRY CLOSES OPTIONS EXCHANGE. The Finance Ministry
has stripped the Bratislava Options Exchange (BOB) of its license to organize a
public stock market and ordered it to stop trading as of 13 November,
Pravda reported the following day. BOB Secretary-General Vladimir
Karasek called the ministry's decision "unfortunate," saying it will damage
Slovakia's entire capital market. The BOB opened in April 1993 and quickly
became the most active of Slovakia's three exchanges following the introduction
of one-day futures. These were prohibited in mid-October after a new securities
law was approved, but U.S. options were introduced in an effort to revive
interest in the BOB. The Finance Ministry reportedly wants to create conditions
for a unified stock market in Slovakia. -- Sharon Fisher

HUNGARY WELCOMES CROATIAN-SERBIAN PEACE ACCORD. Political State
Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office Csaba Tabajdi, following separate
meetings in Budapest with representatives of two ethnic Hungarian organizations
in Croatia, said on 13 November that the Hungarian government welcomes the
agreement between Serbs in eastern Slavonia and the Croatian authorities
whereby the region is to be returned to Croatia. But at the same time, he said
he shares the concern voiced by ethnic Hungarians in the region, Hungarian
media reported. A Foreign Ministry official said Hungary also welcomes the
intention--so far expressed only by Croatia--to guarantee refugees safe passage
home. He added that Hungary will support the return of refugees to eastern
Slavonia, just as it supported their arrival in the region. -- Zsofia
Szilagyi

HUNGARIAN MONK'S REMARK ON "ALIENS" SPARKS DISPUTE. A heated debate
erupted in the parliament on 13 November over an anti-Semitic remark by
Franciscan monk Othmar Faddy at a recent Smallholders' Party rally, Hungarian
media reported. A guest speaker at the gathering, Faddy had called for "aliens"
to be swept out of the country. The Franciscan Order dissociated itself from
his remark, and most deputies said it was unacceptable that such a statement
should have been made at a rally organized by a party espousing Christian
ideas. Smallholders' Party leader Torgyan argued that Faddy had demanded only
that criminals be forced to leave the country. Faddy told Nepszabadsag
he was referring to those non-Hungarians who came to Hungary to destroy the
country, such as terrorists and black market traffickers. -- Zsofia
Szilagyi

OMRI DAILY DIGEST

Vol. 1, No. 222, 14 November 1995HAGUE TRIBUNAL INDICTS BOSNIAN CROATS FOR WAR CRIMES. The International
War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on 13 November charged six
prominent Croats for the systematic murder of Muslims in central Bosnia's Lasva
valley between May 1992 and May 1993. The key figures are the Croatian
Democratic Community's Dario Kordic and Croatian Defense Council (HVO) General
"Tihomir" Blaskic. Kordic also held the HVO rank of colonel and was vice
president of Mate Boban's Croatian Community of Herceg-Bosna. The other four
are a HVO brigade commander, the mayor and police chief of Vitez, and a prison
warden. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 14 November reported that
this brings the tribunal's total indictments to 52, including 45 Bosnian Serbs
and seven Bosnian Croats. The International Herald Tribune quoted Hague
sources as saying that they may have an indictment of Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic "soon." -- Patrick Moore

BOSNIAN SERB LEADERS SAY KARADZIC WILL STAY ON. The Pale leadership
issued a statement to SRNA denying reports that its civilian and military
leaders will resign in a deal to escape prosecution for war crimes. AFP on 14
November quoted the text as saying that "President [Radovan] Karadzic is
president of the Serbian Democratic Party, a powerful political force, and even
if he wanted to, he could not retire from politics because of his party
obligations. The resignation of General [Ratko] Mladic is also ruled out and
cannot be demanded by anyone from the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina or the
international community." Meanwhile, U.S. State Department spokesman Nicholas
Burns noted that "there's no question in our minds that Mr. Karadzic and
General Mladic, as leaders of the Bosnian Serbs, are responsible, individually,
for the massacres at Srebrenica and Zepa, for the massacres at Banja Luka and
for many, many other massacres in years past." -- Patrick Moore

CROATS WORRIED ABOUT EASTERN SLAVONIA. Praise has come from U.S.
President Bill Clinton, as well as from Belgrade and Moscow, for the peace
agreement on eastern Slavonia (see OMRI Daily Digest, 13 November 1995),
but many Croats are not happy. AFP on 14 November reported that some refugees
fear that Serbs who chased them from their homes will now be able to stay and
consolidate their demographic and political positions. "Once more, we have been
sacrificed by our president {Franjo Tudjman} ," grumbled one man. "He's the one
that should be sent to live there with the Serbs who massacred us." Local
Croatian kingpin Branimir Glavas told Reuters on 13 November that he sees
trouble ahead if the Serbs try to establish their own fiefdom. Vjesnik
reported the next day that the Serbs have pumped out at least half a million
tons of oil from the area since they took it in 1991. -- Patrick Moore

SERBIAN RADICAL DENOUNCES MILOSEVIC. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung on
14 November reported that ultranationalist leader of the opposition Serbian
Radical Party (SRS) Vojislav Seselj has denounced Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic for presiding over what he called the greatest defeat of Serbia since
the massive battlefield losses inflicted by the Ottoman armies at Kosovo Polje
in 1389. Seselj was referring to Milosevic's recent role in the Dayton talks.
He described the president's participation in drawing up a pact that may
provide for transferring rebel Serb-held parts of eastern Slavonia to Croatian
control as one of the "biggest-ever sell-outs" of Serbian national interests.
Nasa Borba on 14 November quotes the SRS leader as suggesting that no
part of Serbia is safe from Milosevic and that "next in line are the Republic
of Srpska, Montenegro, Kosovo, Sandzak and Vojvodina." -- Stan Markotich

SERBIAN OPPOSITION DIVIDED. Nasa Borba on 14 November reported
that recent efforts by the Serbian opposition Democratic Party (DS) to forge an
alliance with the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) are floundering. The larger
DS alleges that two mainstream "democratic" parties are fragmenting the
electorate and thereby weakening the opposition vis-a-vis the ruling Socialist
Party of Serbia. But Milorad Jovanovic, spokesman for the DSS, urged the DS to
concentrate on unifying its own membership before talking about unity with
other parties. Despite describing themselves as "democratic," both the DS and
DSS have curried favor with accused war criminal and Bosnian Serb leader
Radovan Karadzic. -- Stan Markotich

MONTENEGRIN JOURNALIST ARRESTED. Montena-fax on 10 November reported
that Vladimir Jovanovic, a journalist for the Montenegrin independent weekly
Monitor, has been barred from leaving the country to attend a media
workshop in Ljubljana. He has been detained on charges of having false
documents. Reporters without Borders wrote a letter of protest to Milosevic in
which they expressed the suspicion that Jovanovic has been arrested because of
his statement suggesting that the attempted assassination of the Macedonian
president was orchestrated by Serbian, Russian, and Bulgarian mafias, Beta
reported on 11 November. -- Daria Sito Sucic

ROMANIA'S KING MICHAEL REFUSED ENTRY VISA. Romania's exiled King Michael
has been refused an entry visa to attend the funeral of opposition leader
Corneliu Coposu, Radio Bucharest reported on 13 November. Romanian Foreign
Minister Teodor Melescanu said Michael would be granted a visa only if he
unequivocally recognized Romania's current constitutional order. Michael's
wife, Ana de Bourbon Parma, and one of their daughters, Princess Margareta
arrived in Bucharest the same day. Michael, who was forced into exile in 1947,
has been allowed to visit his native country only once (in 1992) since the
demise of the communist regime. -- Matyas Szabo

ROMANIAN PRESIDENT IN EGYPT. Romanian President Ion Iliescu on 13
November began a two-day official visit to Egypt, Romanian and Western media
reported. He met with his Egyptian counterpart, Hosni Mubarak, to discuss ways
to boost bilateral political and economic relations. They also discussed the
situation in the former Yugoslavia and the prospects for NATO's expansion in
Eastern Europe. Iliescu is also scheduled to debate the conflict in Bosnia with
the head of the Cairo-based Arab League, Esmat Abdel Meguid. Also on 13
November, Romania and Egypt signed three protocols on cooperation in foreign
affairs, health, and labor. Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mussa told
journalists that Egypt hoped to double the volume of its trade with Romania to
$1 billion in the coming years. -- Dan Ionescu

MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT, DEPUTIES DISCUSS LANGUAGE ISSUE. Mircea Snegur on 13
November discussed with a group of deputies his legislative initiative to amend
the constitution to state that the country's official language is Romanian,
BASA-press and Infotag reported. Snegur rejected accusations that he was driven
by political ambitions when he launched the initiative in April. He also made
clear that he opposed the idea of a referendum on the language issue. Most of
the deputies attending the meeting supported his standpoint and spoke out in
favor of a compromise. -- Dan Ionescu

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DELINQUENCY IN CHISINAU. An international
conference on crime and public security in the Black Sea region ended in
Chisinau on 11 November, BASA-press and Radio Bucharest reported. The
participants--who included including experts from the region as well as from
Germany, Great Britain, and the U.S.--discussed the social problems that have
arisen from "post-Soviet militarism." They also considered the risk of the
region becoming a buffer zone between the Balkans and flash points east of the
Black Sea. The participants appealed to the countries surrounding the Black Sea
to create a regional security system. -- Matyas Szabo

INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO BULGARIAN TV BOSS. An investigation has been
launched into the activities of Ivan Granitski, director-general of Bulgarian
National TV, Demokratsiya reported on 11 November. The Union of
Democratic Forces has accused Granitski of repeatedly denying its
representatives access to air time and has asked that he be suspended (see
OMRI Daily Digest, 17 October 1995). Deputy Prosecutor-General Vladislav
Spasov confirmed that an investigation has begun, saying there is already
enough material to prove Granitski violated the provisional statute on the
state-run media. Granitski could be dismissed legal proceedings get under way.
If convicted, he would face up to five years in prison. -- Stefan Krause

FORMER SUPREME COURT JUDGE LEAVES ALBANIA. Zef Brozi, the former head of
the Albanian Supreme Court, has left Albania for the U.S., the newspaper
Albania reported on 14 November. In September, Brozi was dismissed by
the parliament, despite the lack of a quorum. He was replaced by his deputy,
Avni Shehu. Since then, Brozi has expressed fears of political persecution.
Albania speculates that Brozi took the decision to leave the country
after police surrounded his house on 4 November and confiscated his diplomatic
passport. The paper also quotes him as saying that "the state is preparing
something against me." Meanwhile, ATSH quotes Shehu as saying that the courts
"have never before been more independent than now." -- Fabian Schmidt

ALBANIAN JOURNALISTS PROTEST PRESSURE ON MEDIA. The Albanian Association
of Professional Journalists on 11 November issued a statement expressing
concern about the frequent pressure put on journalists by the judiciary and
other public bodies. The association reported cases of journalists who, it
claimed, have been illegally detained by the police. It appealed to the
government to take measures against the "repression on the freedom of press and
journalists." In particular, the association mentioned Blendi Fevziu, chief
editor of Aleanca, who has been charged with slander for linking the
head of the State Control Commission to a corruption affair. It also charged
that the police has not properly investigated the bombing of Koha Jone
chief editor Nikolle Lesi's house (see OMRI Daily Digest,3 and 7
November 1995). -- Fabian Schmidt